Best New(ish) New York Band (2011)

K-Holes

They christened themselves after a ketamine trip. They have aptly titled songs called "Werewolf With a Tan," "The Gutter," and "Swamp Fires." The ladies outnumber the guys, and it's nearly impossible to tell who's who from the unisex psuedonyms: drummer Bam Bam, reed-blower Sax 5th Ave, bassist Junglaya, guitarist Creepy D, human maraca-seizure Cha Cha Con. Exports of local bands such as Golden Triangle, Bezoar, and Georgiana Starlington, K-Holes don't smile onstage—they stalk, squawk, and exorcise. But even without the post-Cramps surface-level shtick, the HoZac Records splat would still sound like a fugitive's desert-road escape, a loony-bin riot, or a peyote-fever dream. Think the Birthday Party or Lubricated Goat or a Quentin Tarantino film soundtrack. thek-holes.blogspot.com